


Lonely Eyes

by Nightwingshero



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:01:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22532182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightwingshero/pseuds/Nightwingshero
Summary: Wren Blake is the newest Deputy in Hope County, so she's open to new ways of putting herself out there and meeting the people she protects. Even if its a blind date her friend set her up with. What Wren thought would be a decent night turns into a bit of a roller coaster as a certain lawyer can't seem to keep his opinions to himself.
Relationships: Female Deputy | Judge/John Seed, Jacob Seed/Original Female Character(s), John Seed/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by a few country songs I was listening to, and I had to write it out. They are Lonely Eyes by Chris Young, What Ifs by Kane Brown, and also Meant To Be and Simple by Florida Georgia Line, if you wanna listen to them while you read through. I hope you enjoy it!

I had been sitting in my car for the past ten minutes, contemplating. Rowan insisted that I at least try. She had been dressing a deer that she killed with Jacob Seed that morning. I needed to get out more, meet the people of Hope County. Maybe break the 3-year dry spell. I had scoffed and smacked her shoulder for that one. I knew some people, meeting them on the job or when I went out with Rowan or my coworkers. Others, I just saw in passing. The lawyer that would come to the jail dressed in nice, expensive suits came to mind. Pratt and Hudson swearing they couldn’t stand him half of the time, despite Nancy absolutely fawning over him any chance she got. I eyed the entrance one more time, as I bit down on my thumbnail. What was the worst that could happen, right?

Sighing, I pushed my jeep door open, my boots hitting the ground with a slight thud against the cool gravel. I pulled my crossbody purse out before slamming the door. I crossed the street quickly, looking both ways as I went. The air was chilly against my bare legs, ruffling the navy-blue dress just a little. I pulled my jean jacket tighter as I walked across the front porch of the Spread Eagle. Just as I opened the door, an older man with glasses staggered out, cursing under his breath. Bumping into my shoulder on his way past, he threw me a dirty look.

“Watch it.” He mumbled, the smell of cigar smoke strong on his breath. I wrinkled my nose I finally took a step inside. Country and rock music were always going in this bar, appeasing the culture of Hope County. I played with the strap of my purse as I scanned the room. She said he would be wearing a green t-shirt and jeans; he was a park ranger Rowan had said. Blonde hair and blue eyes. Hard to miss. But I bit my lip as I suddenly came up empty. Guess I was the first to arrive.

I swallowed and shifted uneasily as a few people closer to me stared at me. Desperately I searched the bar, looking for an empty seat I could run to. Sighing in relief, I spotted one next to a somewhat familiar figure, no one I could really name. Ducking my head down only slightly, allowing my curled hair to create a curtain as I made my way to the seat. I gave a quick glance to my left as I took my jacket off to hang it on the back of the barstool, trying to get a better look at who I was sitting next to.

He was leaned back against the back of the barstool, the sleeves of his button up rolled to his elbows. A few buttons unbuttoned, showing off the beginning of what I assumed to be a toned chest, if the hard lines were at all telling. Dark tattoos covered his arm, all the way down to the fingers that played with the glass of scotch in front of him. He honestly looked exhausted and that’s when it hit me.

I almost laugh, think or speak of the devil, and he will appear. I never got to talk to him, he was always dealing with Hudson or Pratt, even Whitehorse most of the time. He had been at the jail earlier, arguing with Hudson over Sharky Boshaw. I couldn’t tell what it was over, but I remembered how worked up Hudson had been for the rest of the day because he had ended up getting his way. I had also caught the roll of his eyes when Sharky had cheered and thanked him, clapping him on the back on their way out. I settled, pulling my purse to the side, and Mary May smiled at me.

“Sorry about Dutch there, Deputy. Just a rough night. You know how it is.” She called.

I laughed lightly and waved her off. “It’s fine. No harm done.”

“Looking good tonight.” She said as she turned, wiping something down in front of me before slinging the towel on her shoulder. “No Rowan or Joey tonight? I was half expecting y’all to be having a girl’s night with you looking all done up like that.”

“No Rowan or Hudson tonight.” I answered. I liked Mary May. I met her the first time I went out with the rest of the deputies in my department. We hit it off quickly, becoming fast friends.

“Alrighty then, what can I get you, hun?”

I leaned in, my fingers playing with the silver airplane pendant necklace that rested low against my chest. “Can I just have a glass of Moscato? I’m not a big fan of beer, to be honest.”

Mary May threw her head back and laughed. “That’s because Pratt ordered you the wrong kind. He’s not known for his taste, dep. But yeah, I got you. Give me a second.”

“Thank you.” I replied with a soft smile. I shifted in my seat as I did another scan of the place. He was late and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to show up at all. I sighed as I continued to fidget with the necklace anxiously. I felt eyes on me though, and I turn to my left to see the man next to me already staring. Usually, when people would get caught staring, they would avert their eyes in shame and embarrassment. But not this guy, no. There was nothing shy about him, nothing apologetic in his curious gaze. I couldn’t tell if that creeped me out or if I respected him more for it, but there wasn’t an ounce of shame in his demeanor. I had no doubt in my mind that he knew exactly who I was, though. In this small town, word got around fast, and everyone had been a buzz about the new addition to the police force in town.

I turned and blushed. I wasn’t used to getting attention from someone like him, and it was way more intimidating than I cared to admit, my stomach filled with butterflies. The sound of Mary May setting my wineglass down drew my attention, and I gave another small thank you as my fingers found the stem. I could hear the door open over the music and talking, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the person I had been waiting on. He had broad shoulders; his blonde hair swept a bit to the side. His eyes caught mine, and he smiled as he began to strut his way over. I was shocked a bit by how he carried himself, whether it was confidence or arrogance, I wasn’t sure. I hoped for the former, though.

He leaned against the bar next to me, his finger pointing to me questioningly. “Wendy, right?”

“Wren.” I corrected. He gave a quick nod as she smiled sheepishly. I didn’t get it very often, but it did happen enough that I was used to people getting it wrong on the first try.

“Right. Sorry.” He looked over his shoulder as he gave a wave to Mary May. “Hey Fairgrave, can I get a Coors Light?” He stuck his hand out in offering when he turned back. “Trey.”

I took his hesitantly and unsure. I didn’t remember ever shaking someone’s hand on a first date, but it had been so long. What did I know? “It’s…nice to meet you.” I smile at him, thinking it would put me more at ease. I needed to force myself to try to have fun, to actually try and get to know this guy.

He smirked in return and as Mary set his bottle down, his eyes immediately eyed her chest before he threw her a smile. I frowned a bit, only catching Mary’s eyes briefly to see the slight irritation there. A slight clearing of someone’s throat from behind me reminded me to that it was just one date, that I could let it slide. It could be way worse.

And boy did it get worse. It had started out fine, a little talk about Rowan and Eli, the very well-known Palmer siblings of Hope County. He fished with Eli every now and then, while I had met Rowan when she called in from a flat tire. He started to talk about what he did for a living, which led to me talking about my new position. I guess, in a way, we should have bonded over that, or maybe that was what Rowan was hoping would happen. But the more he talked, the more I listened. Suddenly I was learning everything that he could do, the things he had done, and I heard him tell me that he could “definitely show me around this county” at least five times. It was official: I was bored.

“I’m telling you, it’s one helluva truck. Most people have a hard time getting in it. Diesel, too. Nice and loud.”

“That sounds so cool.” I said, again, forcing another smile. He got excited, and he swatted my arm with the back of his hand. I flinched only a bit at the act, the sharp sting making me jump, not appreciating him touching me like that as the sound of it rang out. A glass next to me knocked hard against the wood bar, echoing in the bar from the force of being set down heavily, but Trey wasn’t done.

“You bet your ass it is.” He slung his arm around my shoulders as he gave me a sloppy smirk. “And I would love to show you. I think you would like it, baby girl. Such a smooth ride.”

I immediately fought the urge to gag or punch this guy in the face as I heard a scoff, a taunting laugh of pure disbelief from behind me. My eyes widened as I blushed. “Sounds like it.” I replied with an awkward giggle, hoping he hadn’t heard. I’d seen enough bar fights in my time to know that this could easily start one if Trey was feeling a certain way. That wasn’t how I wanted to spend my night off. Mary May sent me a look, watching closely just in case, but I smiled reassuringly at her. “What color is it?” I asked as I pretended to shift to get more comfortable, moving my shoulders out of his touch just as Trey turned to order another drink. Fingers brushed against my arm lightly as I moved to my left, and I turned to see the man still leaning back but with his arm perched up against the back of the chair. His brow was raised with his blue eyes were dark, and I knew that I had accidently bumped into him trying to get away from Trey, forcing myself into his space. I mumbled a quick sorry as I looked down, face red from pure embarrassment.

“It’s silver, all chromed out.” He said without looking at me, throwing a smile at Mary May. I rolled my eyes as I took another sip of my wine, trying hard to hold my emotions in.

“I bet you have a lot of fun taking it out mudding and stuff, right?” I set my glass down, my composure back in place. His head jerked in my direction as he crinkled his nose in disgust.

“Why the hell would I do that? You have any idea of how much that thing costs?”

I frowned in return, taken aback at the sudden hostility. “I mean, what’s the point of having all those add-ons if you don’t—”

He just waved me off as he shook his head. “No, its fine. I get it, you’re not used to having that kind of money for things like that. Most girls don’t get trucks, anyway. But I think you can appreciate not playing in the mud and getting dirty, right?” He threw me a wink and my jaw ticked as he took another swig of his beer. My fingers caressed the pendant as my other hand drummed along with the music playing, doing everything I could to talk myself off the ledge.

He straightened up as he set his beer down. “I gotta take a piss.” He turned to me with a smile. “You stay right here and stay beautiful until I get back, alright baby girl?” He clicked his tongue with a wink as he tapped a hooked finger under my chin. I nod and try to smile without venom. I was going to murder Rowan the next time I saw her. I watched as he walked away, shocked by the sheer audacity of him. I tried taking a calming breath through my nose. He was buying me drinks and I had promised Rowan I would give him a chance, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t end it early. Honestly, I was doing Rowan a favor not punching him in the face. No, I thought to myself, just smile and get through it. You’ll be fine, and then you don’t ever have to see him again. Smile and pretend.

“Are you serious?” a deep voice asked, a laugh ringing in his tone, making my heart race just a little bit. I swallowed as I turned back around, confused and irritated.

“Excuse me?” I breathed out, the irritation from his comment and everything else finally pushing me to my breaking point. His eyes are piercing, something burning in them that I couldn’t name, but I knew. I knew from how he raises his brow that he can see right through me. He can see through the act, the forced politeness that had been drilled into me since a child. It only pissed me off more.

“You always pretend to be something you’re not?” he asked genuinely, only a hint of the dark taunting in his honey voice as he calls me out.

“You don’t know me.” I snapped. It came out harsher than I intended, and I honestly didn’t know why him saying these things were what pushed me this far. I had dealt with Trey’s passes and sexist comments all evening. Why was I letting this guy get under my skin?

He only hummed in response as he finished the rest of the newest glass of scotch he was working on. My eyes followed the way his tongue darted out, licking his lips for just a second as his tattooed fingers ran over his beard before speaking again. “I know enough to say that _that_ little thing you got going on there?” he pointed, glass still in hand, to where Trey was originally. “That’s not what you really want.” I stare at him as he sets his glass down and rises. He threw bills on the bar as he waved to Mary May with a smile and gaining one in return. “No, Deputy, you strike me as a woman who likes to be treated well by a gentleman, an actual man who asks before touching you or maybe knows better than to use my truck as a way to insinuate us fucking in it.”

My head snaps forward as he turns to grab his coat, my face dark red from mortification, realizing that he had heard everything these past few hours. I squeezed my eyes shut at the absolute shame of letting Trey say some of the things he had. I was never good at standing up to men, and I had my father to thank for that. I opened my eyes to glare at my glass as he scoffed. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as he placed his hand on the back of my chair, leaning in just close enough for me smell his expensive cologne, reminding me of sandalwood. I fought the urge to turn and bury my face against him.

He wasn’t invading my space, but god, was I aware of him. His body radiating heat, the edges of his coat caressing lightly against my arm, I couldn’t focus. “But you know that already, don’t you? You already know what you want. If not, then maybe you can realize it sooner rather than later.” His voice was almost a whisper as he spoke, holding a gentleness that wasn’t there before. “Maybe you’ll get a different perspective now; I surely hope so. Because that? No one deserves to be treated like that. And if you do know, like I believe you do, well…when you’re done pretending so people will like you, when you’re done being his ‘baby girl’, give me a call. Because I can show you around, no problem. But I’m going to ask you where you are from and what your favorite food is, instead of telling you how big my truck is.” He sighed, a light breath leaving his lips. “Ask him what your name is, darling.” He whispered oh so softly, the empathy almost bringing tears to my eyes. “Just ask. Humor me, and if I’m wrong, I’ll apologize. But if he doesn’t…well, I think I’ve proven my point. Ask him what your name is, Wren.”

I breathed out as he let go, walking away. My eyes were wide, my brain short circuiting. I gave it a few seconds before I was turning, seeing if he was really gone. Sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen, disappearing as if he was never there in the first place. The urge to run after him was so strong, that I went to grab my purse, but froze when I heard his voice.

“I’m back, baby girl. Now, where were we?” Trey asked as he leaned against the bar. He started to run his fingers up my arm, throwing me a smirk. “I think we’re done here, don’t you? Let’s get out of here, go back to my place. What do you say?”

“What’s my name?” I asked impulsively, not even thinking. I knew deep down that I wasn’t really interested in this guy, that I was only here because I didn’t have the nerve to walk out. I didn’t want to piss Rowan off or make a scene. But deep down, I wanted to know. I wanted to test his theory and see if I could actually prove him wrong. To at least prove that this hadn’t been a _total_ waste of my time.

Trey frowned, caught off guard. “What does that have to do with anything? It’s Wendy.”

I scoffed before downing the rest of my wine, then setting the glass back down. He caressed my arm and my hand darted out, grabbing his wrist. “Don’t touch me.” I reply, all the fake smiles now gone as I eyed him.

“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”

“Oh honey, I am so not your baby girl.” I replied with a scoff. He rolled his eyes.

“Well, are you going home with me or not?”

I looked at him with absolute disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I breathed out. “No! I’m not going to your fucking house. You’re an asshole, you know that? You’ve been nothing but rude and disrespectful. And just a little fucking note for you, girls _love_ mudding, we don’t mind mud. You wanna know what we mind? Misogynistic assholes with small dicks who depend on their daddy’s money for a truck they don’t know how to drive in the first place.”

He just shrugged. “And you’re a bitch and a fucking tease, but here we are. I’m out, I can’t deal with this crazy shit.” He sat up to leave, but he turned to me. “Oh, I forgot my wallet. You got this, right?”

“Oh, my g—yes, I got it.” I yanked my purse towards me as he left. “Classy. Very fucking classy.” I muttered under my breath. Mary May leaned forward as I pulled my card out, but she waved me off.

“Don’t worry about it.” She said with a shake of her head. I sighed as I leaned my head to the side.

“Dude, I so don’t need you to cover my drinks out of pity right now. Please let me pay. My pride can’t handle that right now.”

She just laughed. “Oh, no. That’s not at all what I meant. Bad date or not, you’re paying.” She winked at me as I laughed with her. “But no, what I meant was that there’s nothing to pay for. Your tab has been covered.”

“What?” I breathed out in confusion. “By whom?” I asked is disbelief as I scanned around, trying to see if this was some sort of joke.

“John took care of it. Told me to put it on his bill when Man of the Year was reliving his glory days in high school as the quarterback.”

“John? Who is John?”

Mary May stopped what she was doing, giving me a look. “You’re not serious, are you? Like, you’re actually pulling my leg right now, right?” When I shook my head at her, her brows raised. “You’ve been here how long, and you don’t know who John Seed is? He’s like, at the jail every other day. How have you gone this long without talking or hearing about him?”

I swallowed as my breathing picked up, realization dawning on me. “Oh shit, he’s—”

“The guy you were sitting right next to him this whole time? The lawyer that your department is in almost constant contact with? Yeah. Because he’s, you know, like the only fucking good attorney around. Came from some fancy law firm in Atlanta. Seriously, how do you not know this? Anyway, I thought he was going to kill that guy. Not that I blame him. What a fucking piece of work, but who cares about that guy. The point I’m trying to get through your thick skull is that _he bought all of your drinks tonight._ ”

I jump up, grabbing my jacket and purse, praying I wasn’t too late. I caught Mary May’s smirk before I darted out. The night was chilly, bringing a shiver across my skin as I scanned the road for him. Coming up empty, I ran to the side of the building. Maybe it was the wine that was making me do this, forcing me to be bold. I had no idea what I would say or do if I saw him, but I didn’t care. I was an idiot, for obvious reasons. I could hear Hudson calling me a dumbass now.

My shoulders sagged as I came up empty handed, the man in question nowhere in sight. People were making their way out of the bar, going back home as it grew closer and closer to last call. Disappointment made my heart sink and I kicked a rock on my way back to my jeep. Once I was behind the wheel, I just sat there. Taking a deep breath, I tried to will the headache coming on away. I knew tonight was going to be long, and as I fell asleep tonight, I would be kicking myself the whole fucking time.


	2. Simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…That little thing I was working on has another part to it….AAAND I’ve been sitting on it for awhile, because I love/hate it. I really don’t think I captured Hudson well, at all. I tried to make it funny and I was hyped up on too much Monster. So, there’s that. But I hope you enjoy!

“You set her up with who?!” Hudson asked, completely flabbergasted. She groaned as she shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Of all fucking people, Rowan.”  
I chuckled under my breath as I took a bite of the yogurt I was working on. Rowan had stopped by to eat a late breakfast with me and Hudson. Of course, she immediately demanded I tell her what happened. I shrugged, giving her just the bare minimum. I was still embarrassed for how everything had turned out, and I had gone home with the smell of sandalwood in my hair. I did not need them knowing about John Seed, especially since Hudson seemed to work closely with him a lot of the time.   
“Eli fishes with him sometimes. I don’t know him well, but I thought it would be worth a shot! He’s friends with Pratt—”  
“That should have been your first flag, Ro.” Hudson snorted before popping a piece of her bagel in her mouth. I laughed fully as I leaned back against my chair. “I mean, you’re with Jacob Seed all the time. You couldn’t have set her up with—”  
“I am not with Jacob all the time!” Rowan gasped out, becoming defensive. “We just hunt sometimes.”  
Hudson raised her brow as she stared at Rowan. “You hunt all the time, liar. Just do it, man. Seriously. It’s so obvious you two are into each other.”  
“It’s true, dear!” Nancy chimed in from the next room and we laughed as Rowan’s face burned red. One of the disadvantages of having such a small office. Everyone heard everything if you weren’t careful. “Bye, girls! You have a good one!”  
We turned to see two women walk out, one blonde and the other a darker, almost a dirty blonde. They both smiled at Nancy as they made their way to the exit. The oldest had honey brown eyes, her long hair pinned back and framing her face. She had a yellow sundress that reminded me of a warm summer day. The youngest had flowers printed on her white dress. They exchanged looks, both smiling with a secret hiding behind their bright eyes. They waved at us as the made their way outside.   
“Who are they?” I asked.   
“Oh, that’s Whitney and Faith Seed. They stop by here and there for Whitehorse, you know, to help with organizing community benefit stuff with their church. They’re probably here about the county fair. Faith is the baby sister and Whitney is married to one of the brothers.”  
“Which one?” I blurted out without thinking. Rowan and Joey eyed me, and I tried to recover. “I mean, how many brothers are there? There’s two, right?”  
“Three.” Hudson corrected with a laugh. “Whitney is married to the middle brother, Joseph, and they have a couple of kids together. He’s a pastor at the church further North.”  
“Oh.” I replied.  
“So, what did you say? When the guy came back from the bathroom?” Rowan asked, folding her hands together as they supported her chin. I just sighed and smirked, twirling my spoon in the cup of yogurt.  
“Told him off for being rude and disrespectful, you know? Then said that girls love to go mudding.”  
“Hell yeah we do.” Hudson chimed in, taking a sip from her coffee.  
“I may or may not have told him that girls didn’t like guys with small dicks who use their dad’s money to buy trucks they can’t drive.”  
“Deputy Blake!” Nancy cried as we lost it.  
“Sorry Nancy!” I called back as we began crying from laughing so hard.   
“You—you should have seen his face!” I gasped out. “Oh my god!”  
“What did he say?!” Rowan gasped through her fits of laughter.   
“He called me a bitch and a fucking tease, then left saying he couldn’t handle my crazy shit.” I replied with a shrug, calming down a bit.   
“Wow. What an ass. I’m gonna get him the next time I pull him over for drinking and driving. John won’t protect his ass this time.” Hudson scoffed with a smug smile on her face, a mischievous glint in her dark eyes.   
I frowned as I gave Hudson a look. “What do you mean?”  
“Meh, Trey’s dad would hire John to defend his son every time he got in trouble. He used to have some sway here in Hope County. Used to be mayor before Virgil. Anyway, John got tired of it, defending this guy over and over for him to just end up repeating the same shit. So, he told him the next time his son gets caught, find another attorney, and pray it’s a good one.”  
“John said that?” I breathed out as Rowan eyed me.   
“Fuck yeah he did. Well, he would have to pull someone from Missoula and even then, with John’s reputation? There’s no fucking way. Big time Atlanta lawyer? There was no way he wasn’t making waves showing up here. Whitehorse was thankful, you know? For once he had someone that wasn’t afraid to cross that damn family. He knows his shit, man.” She threw me a smirk at me. “Oh, does he know his shit. You wanna get set up with someone? John Seed, sweetie. Ride that train.”  
“I thought you said you hated him.” I wanted to ignore her comment, but I couldn’t ignore the fluttering in my stomach as I looked back down at my cup of yogurt.   
“No, I said I can’t stand him half the time. And that’s when he’s defending someone I’m trying to put away.” A door open and closed, and we could hear Nancy’s low voice talking from the next room over, deeper voices answering her in return. “Don’t get me wrong, he can be a bit arrogant and cocky —”  
“He can be sweet, too.” Rowan interjected in his defense as she threw Hudson a look. But Hudson just kept going.  
“—But the guy can back it. Fucker knows he’s good looking, too. Knows he has a certain affect on people, good or bad. I swear he can read people like the back of his hand.” Hudson sighed as she tore another piece of her bagel. “Either way, don’t listen to Rowan the next time she thinks you’ll hit it off with someone. Come to me before she sets you up. I’ll save you, Rook.” She smiled as she popped the piece in her mouth.  
Rowan threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. I just shook my head and took another bite of my yogurt. I decided right then that it was a good call on my part to keep the details about what happened with him under wraps. I could only imagine the lash back for that. We heard deep laughter then, pulling our attention to the next room. Whitehorse and Pratt were standing near the front, laughing and talking with none other than John Seed. He laughed at something Whitehorse said as the Sheriff shook his head. Briefly, just briefly, his blue eyes met mine. In that second, my heart seized as panic filled my veins. I didn’t know just a glance could hold so much weight, it was practically unbearable as I recalled the utter humiliation that resulted from our last run in. I look away immediately, all the liquid courage I had last night was no longer there to help me out of my shell. I fought the urge to run and hide, but I was at work for fuck’s sake, I needed to get over it. The embarrassment would go away…eventually. Then I would be able to show my face around him without a threat of a blush or the memory of his breath fanning across my skin. I gave an involuntary shiver at the thought.   
“Deputy Hudson, Deputy Blake—" I jump clean out of my skin before Hudson and I both turn to see Whitehorse approaching us, just in time for him to catch sight of Rowan. My eyes widened a bit as his face twisted in confusion. “Palmer? What the hell--? What are you doin’ here?” Rowan and I shared a quick look, trying to figure out the excuse we were gonna use this time. We both turned, word vomiting in front of everyone at the same time.  
“We’re long lost fraternal twins—”  
“Ride along.”  
Whitehorse’s brows furrowed as I took in what Rowan had said. I place my fist against my mouth as I shot her a look. You’ve got to be kidding me. Rowan’s mouth is a straight line, her eyes wide as realization dawned on her. Snapping her fingers and then pointing at me, she gives Whitehorse a smile.  
“Ride along.” I shook my head slowly in disbelief as I stared at her, my fingertips pressing into my temple for support. I couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes at this point. How the hell was this person becoming my best friend? “Just like Wren said. I’m, uhm…riding along for the day.”  
Whitehorse crossed his arms as Pratt snickered next to John as they stood behind Earl. “Rowan Palmer, I’ve known you almost all your life. Not once have you shown an interest in law enforcement. Even after you came back from the military.”  
“People change, Sheriff.” Rowan insisted. He cocked a brow at her, and Hudson chuckled before chiming in.  
“Wren and I were just taking Rowan’s statement. There was a bad run in with a park ranger last night, and it was Rowan’s fault.”  
“That’s the third time you’ve changed your story in the past five minutes.” His honey voice rang out, a light amusement in his tone. I didn’t dare look at him, but I knew his blue eyes would be full of amusement with a smirk on his lips. “Even I wouldn’t want to defend you if you were on trial, Hudson.”  
She glared at him, immediately taking the bait. “Nobody asked you, Seed. Besides, Rowan would be the one on trial. You know, for setting her up with Trey fucking Kohrs—”  
“Hey!” Pratt cried out as Whitehorse let out a sigh. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about!”  
“Well, fuck—” Hudson caught the way I crinkled my nose and she held her hand up. “I stand corrected. Non-fuck your best friend. It’s Rowan’s fault for setting them up, and he should be put on trial for how he treated my partner. Do your fucking job, Mr. Hotshot Attorney. He’s a fucking cu—”  
“Deputy Hudson!” Nancy shrieked in horror from the next room. I turned slowly and stared at Hudson, completely mortified. I realized quickly that I was wrong, oh so wrong. I told them about how the person next to me had heard everything and made a snide comment at the end, but that was it. Maybe if I had told them from the beginning, this wouldn’t be happening. I tried to avoid trouble, tried to avoid it turning into something else or maybe escaped some teasing I knew Hudson would’ve thrown my way. But I underestimated how much damage these two could do when kept in the dark. Hudson smirked at me as I glared at her. Rowan whipped her had around so fast, I wasn’t sure how she didn’t snap her damn neck.  
“Shut up, Joey!” She hissed. “That was so not my fault! Trey—"  
“Alright.” Whitehorse cut in, raising his hands in a calming fashion before giving Rowan a look. “You know what I’m gonna say—”  
“We’re in a polyamorous relationship, so I’m visiting my wife and mistress at work. It’s important for our communication and love life, Sheriff. Happy wife, happy life.” Hudson and I both look at Rowan as Pratt loses it, bent over and clutching his stomach as he leans against a desk for support. Whitehorse’s face goes red, and in the corner of my eye, I can see Nancy peeking around the corner. I didn’t dare look up to meet the blue eyes I felt burning a hole in my face. I wanted nothing more than for a black hole to appear and swallow me whole.   
“Are you serious?” I asked, finally breaking my silence as my hands come up in absolute horror at the turn of events. “You couldn’t stick with ride along? You had to go that far—"  
“What the fuck?” Hudson asked as she stares Rowan down.   
“Number four.” Pratt muttered as he elbowed John.  
“Shut up, I panicked!” Rowan replied, getting defensive. She looked at Whitehorse while pointing at me. “That’s my wife and you can’t destroy our love.”  
“But I’m not gay—"  
“Why is she the wife?” Hudson’s voice rising in pitch as she glared at Rowan incredulously. “I’ve known you way longer.” Rowan threw Hudson a smirk, her eyes full of wrath.  
“That’s the point.”   
My eyes widened as Hudson slumped back with a scoff. “Fine. Neither of you are my type, anyway.”  
“Wren is wifey material, Joey. Total babe.” Rowan shrugged then, making a show of examining her nails. “Besides, she’s a silver-tongued devil, you know? Comes in handy.”  
“No. Please just stop.” I beg as I rest my face in my hands in pure embarrassment from the sexual innuendo. This was my best friend. This person in front of me. “For the love of God, please stop.” I could hear Nancy choking on her coffee in the next room, the Sheriff shuffling uncomfortably. Pratt just laughed harder. Rowan wasn’t usually one to pull something like this, from what I had known of her, but she always became flustered when nervous or caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to.   
“You’re married to your long-lost fraternal twin, and you’re here for a ride along with her and the mistress in your relationship?” Pratt wheezed out. All I wanted in this moment was for it to end. This was too much.   
Rowan hesitated for a second. “Yes…?”  
I sighed out as I looked back at the Sheriff and he just shook his head. “Palmer, I need you to leave. And hun, you gotta stop sneaking into my station.”  
Rowan groaned and agreed as Sheriff finished giving Hudson and I orders. We hummed in agreement before him and Pratt walked off, and it was then that I noticed that John had already gone. My shoulders slumped a bit, but I was mainly relieved. How the hell was I always embarrassing myself around that guy? I grabbed Rowan’s arm, pulling her to the side with Hudson. I gave a quick look around to make sure we were in private for the most part as they gave me weird looks.  
“You know how I told you just a bit about the guy that was sitting next to Trey and I last night?” They both nodded and I took a deep breath. “Yeah, well, I may have left out the fact that the man was John Seed. And that maybe, maybe, there’s bit more to the story than I had originally led on.”  
It takes just a second for it to hit them before they’re eyes are widening. “Oh shit…so, my little comment about the park ranger—”  
“Yeah,” I said, cutting Hudson off with sarcasm dripping heavily off my tongue. “Thanks for all that, by the way. None of that was embarrassing at all.”  
“Hey, I didn’t know!”  
“Wait.” Rowan chimed in as she put her hand up. “So, what happened then? What didn’t you tell us?”  
I sighed, biting my lip before I go more into detail as I recalled everything that had happened last night, not leaving anything out. They hang onto every word as I relive the worst date of my life. It was awkward, and my face burned bright red the whole time. And then I came to the end, taking note of every move he had made, reciting him word for word. When I finished, Hudson was smirking at me and Rowan just gapped at me.   
“And then what?” Rowan breathed out.   
“Nothing. I checked outside for him and he was just…gone.” I shrugged as she sighed in disappointment.   
“So, he bought all your drinks? Without you even knowing? God, that’s such a John move.” Hudson scoffed and shook her head before looking back at me, crossing her arms. “Makes all those comments I made about him doing his job so much sweeter, though. Totally worth it. So then, when are you going out?”  
“Uhm…what?”  
She furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side. “When you are you guys going out? Like, you stopped him when he was here, right? To ask him out? You know, follow up about showing you around and being a legit gentle—did you seriously not talk to him?”  
“No!” I rushed out as I motioned to the next room. “I had no fucking clue he was even here!”  
“No idea—Wren, he’s always fucking here since you started.”  
I froze and stared at her. “I mean, he’s supposed to be, right?”  
“Are you kidd—okay.” She put her hand up, stopping me as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Seriously, the both of you. I don’t know how you two survive being this blind. I’m setting this straight right now, or else I’m going to scream.” She sighed as she looked at Rowan. “Jacob is into you. You’re doing things with him and his daughter all the fucking time. He literally only hunts with you or his brothers. He’s only ever hunted with Eli a few once or twice. Ask him out, I’m tired of you not getting plowed by that fucking lumberjack soldier guy.” She turned to me and I gulped. “And you, partner of mine, need to get your head out of your ass. We’re in the 21st century. Know what that means? We have cell phones and email. You think John needs to be here all the fucking time? Does he look like someone who really belongs in this damn station day after day? No, he doesn’t. In fact, before your pretty ass showed up, he was hardly ever here. Now he’s always here, and Whitehorse isn’t complaining. He likes doing things face to face, he’s very old fashioned that way. Pratt doesn’t notice shit like that, but Nancy and me? Oh, we noticed.” She scoffed, looking at her boots with a shake of her head before she gave me a curious look. “He was in Alaska with Jacob for a hunting trip when you showed up, did you know that?”  
“I remember that.” Rowan muttered. “Lucky bastards.”  
Hudson ignored her as she continued, placing her hands on her hips. “He comes back, sees you, asks Nancy, Pratt, and I about you. Because he was gone a fucking week and all of a sudden, we have a shiny new deputy. A deputy with long dark hair and pretty eyes, who, for some stupid reason, can’t seem to stop fucking smiling at everyone. So, dumbass, when we’re done with our shift, you’re gonna go home. You’re gonna put on jeans, boots, and a flannel with a tank top. Maybe a t-shirt. You’re not going to dress up for this. Now, don’t get me wrong, you probably looked great last night. But he called you on your shit, so going back like that again is gonna be the wrong thing to do. You’re going to be 100% you. So, you’re gonna braid that fucking hair of yours, skip the makeup—you don’t fucking need it, and walk your ass into that fucking bar. You’re gonna sit next to him and buy that guy a fucking drink.”  
We stared at Hudson in shock, not sure how to respond to her. Nancy walks past us to grab something from the copier. “Blue, darling.”  
“What?” I asked, turning to her. She looked up at me, her red lips turning into a smile.  
“Wear blue. Trust me.”

Hudson groaned again as we made another pass on the main street. The fair was in full swing this late afternoon, the sun high with no clouds in sight. It was hot with our uniforms and I thought for sure Hudson was going to drop dead beside me. We were just here to cover our bases. Apparently, that was what the two Seed women were doing this morning at the station. Making sure they had some security for the people of Hope County. Despite the heat, it was a good day. Cotton candy, popcorn, and fresh straw hung heavily in the air. Kids ran by giggling and screaming in excitement to the next ride, their faces painted. I smiled as I took it all in, it had been so long since I had gone to one of these. It was a nice change in pace.   
“Won’t be too much longer before Pratt shows and we take a drive around the county to make sure everything is all good.” Hudson said as she watched the Ferris wheel, her hand shielding her eyes as she looked up. I had to fight the laughter that threatened to escape. She immediately threw a cussing fit when she realized her aviators were still at the station. She threw me glares here and there as she studied mine. I had offered to buy her a kids’ pair, all pink and covered in flowers. That only led to her flipping me off in return.   
“Think he can handle it?” I asked with a scoff. She laughed and shook her head.   
“Poor guy—”  
“Excuse me, Miss Police Officer Lady?” a small voice called. I turned to see a little girl staring up at me with wide eyes, tears threatening to fall any second. “I can’t find my daddy.”  
I knelt down, pushing my glasses up as I smiled. “That’s okay, I can help you. What’s your name?”  
“Luna.”  
“Hi there, Luna. My name is Deputy Blake, but you can just call me Wren.” I held my hand out to her. I watched as she clutched her plane toy close with one hand as she reached out and shook mine.  
“Like the birdie, right?” Her bright blue eyes were glistening, with her red hair pulled back in a French braid. “My daddy knows a lot about animals.”  
“Just like the bird. I can’t fly though.” She laughed at my lame joke and I smiled brighter. “You know,” I pulled at my necklace, bringing the plane pendent out of hiding. “Even though I can’t fly, I like planes. I really like your toy. I have a necklace just like that.”  
“Oh, cool!” She smiled, stepping closer to look at it. “It’s pretty.”  
“How about we do this? We’re gonna look for your dad. I’m gonna put you on my shoulders and let you wear my glasses, so it’ll be like you’re flying. How does that sound?” She nodded enthusiastically and I stood. I handed her my glasses before I picked her up and placed her on my shoulders. “See? Safe and sound, and you can see almost the whole world.”  
“I’m so tall!” She giggled. I turned to Hudson as we began to search the crowd.  
“That’s Luna Seed.” Hudson muttered to me and I gave her a look. “Jacob’s little girl. We just gotta find one of the brothers, or Whitney. They should be around here somewhere.”  
Hudson stopped to ask people if they had seen the family, and while she did so, I made airplane noises to keep the poor girl distracted. Anything to keep her from feeling as scared as she was when she approached us. It only took us about 15 minutes to spot the frantic family. My eyes first caught onto the two familiar figures. I laughed as Hudson shook her head.   
“Hey wifey! You lose something?” I called and Rowan whipped around. Spotting me, her face broke out into a huge smile and I could see her visibly relax. A blonde from this morning waved behind her and Hudson threw her a thumbs up.  
“My best friend and better half, I love you.” Rowan laughed as I approached her. Luna greeted her with a wave as the blonde, Whitney, reached for her. “Seriously, thank you.”  
“Of course. Never a problem.”  
“I’m glad I caught you. Come say hi.” Rowan motioned for us to follow her. Sharing a glance, we followed. We were trailing behind, laughing here and there. I froze immediately once I saw where she was taking us. Nancy was chatting away with a group of people by a few pickup trucks, and by the looks of it, they were grilling out. I swallowed as I took in a tall man, his long hair in a bun with yellow aviators covering his eyes. He was playing with a pair of twins, one boy and one girl. Whitney approached a tall, broad shouldered man with the same hair as Luna. Jacob. Whitney handed Luna to Jacob, a stern look on his face before holding her close.  
Luna giggled as she turned pointing to us. Jacob and Nancy both turned, and I couldn’t help but return the smile. Nancy waved us forward, wrapping me in a hug once I got close.   
“It’s good to see my favorite deputies out and about.” She said as she rubbed my arm, turning to the strangers. One by one, she introduced me to John’s family. Joseph was pleasant and polite, his wife a total sweetheart. Jacob shook my hand, thanking me before he gave Rowan a soft smile. I looked down with a smile on my face at the interaction.  
We laughed and talked as I slowly got to know the rest of the Seed family. Whitney, who turned out to be Nancy’s niece, was an art teacher and helped out at Joseph’s church whenever she was able. Joseph talked a little bit about his work, even inviting me to come watch on Sunday. Jacob was a man of few words, but I could tell he felt strongly for his family. I also took note of how he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Rowan when she wasn’t looking. Luna beamed at me, asking me to fly her around again, just like her Uncle John would. I almost died as Hudson burst out laughing. Jacob just chuckled and pulled her away, distracting her with a kite he had for her instead.   
“We should get going, our shift is almost over.” Hudson said after a while, and I gave her a quick nod.   
“Yeah, that sounds good. It was a pleasure meeting all of you.” We all said our goodbyes, exchanging pleasantries before Hudson and I were off to finish what we had came here to do. 

I found myself sitting in my jeep, glaring at the Spread Eagle. After work, Hudson had pointed at me, reminding me what she had said. I had gone home then, took a shower, and did exactly what she had told me. I even found a blue flannel, which wasn’t too hard. It was my favorite color, in all honesty. I wondered if that was why Nancy had suggested it.   
I was desperately trying to work up the courage for this. I wasn’t sure what would happen, being bold wasn’t something I was normally good at doing. I opened the door, my boots hitting the gravel. It was like déjà vu, and I prayed that maybe tonight would end differently. I crossed the road with my hands in my back pockets. Before I set a foot on the porch, I turned back around with a curse under my breath. What was I going to say? Hi, remember me? Yeah, so you were totally right and I’m sorry?  
I scoffed to myself. Did he really want me to call him? Did he mean that or was that a way to make a point? Maybe he wanted some sort of sick gratification for being right. Guys like him weren’t usually interested in girls like me. He was rich, if the watch on his wrist or the shiny black mustang in the parking lot, with JSEED on the license plate, said anything. He was so out of my league. And yet…I looked over my shoulder, eyeing the entrance. He had sounded so genuine, and he had been right. I knew that, I wasn’t a total idiot. He had even bought my drinks without asking for anything in return. I exhaled heavily in frustration. This whole situation was so new to me, I wasn’t used to someone being so straightforward with me without ulterior motives. The doubt was eating me up on the inside, he hadn’t said a word to me this morning. It was like it never even happened.   
I sighed as I turned on my heel, making my way to the entrance. I opened the door and was immediately greeted with the rumble of a loud crowd. The fair had the people super excited, so it was more crowded than usual. It made it almost impossible for me to scan the bar for him. Getting bumped into here and there, I tried to squeeze through. I stopped, spotting him in the same seat he had sat in the night before, the one next to him just as empty. I breathed out at the irony, a light chuckle escaping from the back of my throat. He wore a white button up with a black waistcoat. Black slacks fit him tightly, showing off the muscles in his legs. I immediately felt my face flush. Maybe I should have worn something else. I felt too dressed down to even sit next to him, assuming the seat was even available. What if he was saving it for someone else? I bit my lip and approached the seat cautiously.  
I caught Mary May’s eye and she glanced between him and I before smiling at me, sending me a wink. I returned the smile, her encouragement boosting my confidence just a bit. I hopped up on the seat and leaned forward on my arms. Mary May approached with a smile.  
“Well, look at you. Blue is definitely your color. That dress was super cute and all. Gotta admit though, I’m sucker for a woman in flannel.” She teased and I laughed at her.   
“I’ll be sure to tell Joey.” I replied with a wink. She blushed, looked at me in shock for just a second before recovering.   
“You do that.” She smirked, her eyes shining a bit more brightly. “Wine?”  
“Bourbon, actually.”   
Her brows raised. “Oooh, nice choice. I knew I liked you.”  
She quickly turned away and I pulled out my phone to check my notifications. Just a text from Rowan asking me if I was at the bar, a meme from Hudson, and a couple of junk emails. The glass was set in front of me, and I gave her a genuine, beaming smile with a thank you. I was…lighter. I was here on my terms, no ties that kept me here. No expectations, no obligations. Just me and whatever I wanted to do. It was so…freeing.   
I take a sip, and revel in the strong taste. I hummed lightly to myself as it burned all the way down. My body was already buzzing from the adrenaline, my heart pounding loudly to the beat of the music. I was ready to combust, and I willed the alcohol to calm me, but I didn’t see it happening anytime soon. I ran my fingers through my long bangs, gathering them and any loose strands of hair that had escaped the braid, and tucked them behind my ear. I took a deep breath, and I dared a glance to my left.  
He was rubbing his finger lightly over the lip of his glass, leaning back like he had been the night before. But the second my eyes landed on him, his eyes shot up to mine, meeting my gaze head on. My breath got caught in my throat at the intensity, and he just continued to play with his glass without a word. I tried to swallow but was having a difficult time with just that simple task. I turned back to take another sip, immediately regretting stepping foot in this place. I should have stayed home in my pajamas to watch Netflix or read. This was so stupid. I couldn’t bring myself to even say hi.   
The question hung in the air between us. I knew he wanted to know; he had asked me to inquire as a favor to him. He wanted follow through. My pride wasn’t letting me though. What would that really prove? That is was a waste of my time? Maybe that was all he was in for. Just a little game, another boost to his large ego, the one Hudson claimed he had. I suppose it would give him something he could muse over and laugh at later. I took a deep breath, settling my nerves as I began to trace the vine tattoo snaking its way down the side my wrist, from the top and all the way down to my thumb. The leaves branched out a bit, covering some of the back of my hand. One on each wrist, one with a bloomed flower, the other with just the buds. They seemed interesting suddenly, as I fixed my attention to the ink on my skin.  
That’s not what you really want. His words, so confident and sure. Luring, even, and something told he hadn’t even been trying. The longer I sat there, the more I could smell his cologne as I slowly circled the small flower buds on my right hand with my middle finger. I licked my lips again, trying to scramble to find something, anything to say. All I could do was replay his words. He probably thought I was crazy. I glanced at him again, and to my mortification, found him still staring. The serious look in his eyes was gone, replaced with a light amusement and it dawns on me that he’s actually waiting for me to speak, to make the first move to show that I want to engage him. That this was on my terms. A fluttering in my stomach makes me squeeze my glass a bit. I rolled my shoulders lightly, forcing myself to relax, and suddenly I was word vomiting before I could even think.  
“Oklahoma.” I sighed as spun my glass slowly, my other hand pulling away. “I’m from Oklahoma.” Daring to meet his eyes once more, I see his smile spread across his face.


End file.
